Charles Amadeus of Savoy, 6th Duke of Nemours

Charles Amadeus of Savoy, 6th Duke of Nemours, ( _fr. Charles Amédée de Savoie, Duc de Nemours) (April 12 1624 – July 30 1652), was a military leader and a French magnate.

He served in the army of Flanders in 1645, and in the following year commanded the light cavalry at the siege of Kortrijk. In 1652 he took part in the war of the Fronde, and fought at Bleneau and at the Faubourg St Antoine, where he was wounded. He was killed the same year in a duel by his brother-in-law, François de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort.

He married on July 11, 1643 at the Louvre, Elisabeth de Bourbon-Vendome, the daughter of the Duc de Vendôme, the illegitimate son of King Henry IV of France and his mistress, Gabrielle d'Estrées. Her mother was the wealthy heiress, Françoise de Lorraine, Duchesse de Mercoeur et de Penthièvre (1592-1669), the daughter of Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercoeur.

Duke Charles had two daughters,
*Marie-Jeanne-Baptiste de Nemours (1644-1724), who married Charles Emmanuel of Savoy, ruler of Piedmont, in 1665,
*Marie-Françoise de Nemours (1646-1683), who married king Alphonso VI of Portugal, in 1666 and afterwards Afonso's younger brother, Pedro, Duke of Beja, regent of Portugal.

Charles Amadeus' brother Henry, who had been archbishop of Reims, but now withdrew from orders, succeeded to the title of Duke of Nemours.

His granddaughter Isabel Luisa of Portugal was heiress-presumptive to the throne of Portugal and Princess of Beira, and his grandson Victor Amedee, Duke of Savoy became in 1712 king of the island of Sicily and in 1720 instead king of Sardinia. Descendants of Victor Amedee are represented in practically all Catholic royal families of Europe.

References

*1911